A full room of journalists and wine
industry people, but no one ever wants to sit in the front row unless they have
to.

Belthazar sommelier James Pietersen

Rianie Strydom of Haskell Vineyards

Lots of people taking notes and listening
intently

After the reporting session, we went down
to the terrace on the front of the hotel and had lunch. An interesting menu and
a selection of wines were served. This
should be a chance for the media to meet the judges

The starter of pan fried squid, and
salmon trout on a black squid ink tagliolini with a tomato caper vinaigrette
and a saffron foam. However we had prawns rather than squid.

Some of the white wines on offer with
lunch.

Main course was an oven roasted tender
Chalmar beef fillet on vanilla carrot puree and Pommes Dauphine (small potato
croquettes). We are not sure we like vanilla with savoury courses, it certainly
is a controversial debate. Some people adore it, we find it too sweet.

Judge Oz Clarke with Celia Gilloway, who has
ably organised these Feedback sessions for years and who now works for Classic
Wine magazine.

The judges having a last lunch together

It was a lovely day to have lunch on the
terrace with the Grande Roche Rose garden in full
autumn flower

Norman McFarlane amuses Joanne Gibson and
this year’s event organiser Alex Mason-Gordon, who finally has a minute or two
to relax over lunch.

Dessert was meant to be a fruit dumpling
in a red wine sabayon and a Cape gooseberry ragout. Our dumplings appear not to
have been cooked. They contained a whole
strawberry

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MENU,our weekly email newsletter, started as an advertising medium for Main Ingredient, our specialist retail grocery business. We opened our Sea Point shop in December 2002 because the limited range of food products available in the supermarkets frustrated us. We realised that there was a place in South Africa for a grocer catering to people who share our tastes and needs. We moved the shop on line in 2010, but have now discontinued it, having decided that it is time to “retire” and concentrate on our writing, photography and tour guiding. MENU has a wide circulation and is read nationally and internationally.

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